


Caution: Bump Roads Ahead

by StupidGenius



Series: Signs of Magic [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Deaf Stiles, Deaf Stiles Stilinski, Hispanic Hales, Hurt Stiles, Hurt/Comfort, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Stiles def went through a traumatic experience, The Hales are Still Werewolves, Trauma????
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 18:56:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17431646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StupidGenius/pseuds/StupidGenius
Summary: ‘You’re lucky.’The Doctors had said.‘You’re expected to make a complete recovery.’Funny. Stiles doesn’t feel very lucky.





	Caution: Bump Roads Ahead

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! i know its been a while, which i _swear_ i never intended. this story _was_ going to go up several months ago, but then my laptop crashed, and i lost the last half of this fic, along with several others i planned on posting, and tons of art and sentimental photos. I was super discouraged by that point and it took me a while to finally transfer the first draft from my old laptop to this new one. But i'm back now! With plans for a third part, if anyone is still in this fandom by then lol. And, in case anyone forgot:
> 
> ' _this_ ' is signing
> 
> "this" is talking
> 
> "'this'" is interpreting. When something has three quotation marks around it, that means whoever is speaking is interpreting what someone else is signing.
> 
> " _This_ " is also interpreting, but instead of sign being interpreted into oral speech, its the other way around.
> 
> And " _this_ " means signing and talking at the same time.
> 
> Basically, Italics mean signing, just in case some people get confused.
> 
> (This fic switches between the past and present several times. I don’t think I made that very clear at times, sorry.)

It’s been two weeks.

Two weeks since Derek told him he might be falling for him. Two weeks since Stiles kissed him. Two weeks since the Hales fought for their land and won. Two weeks since that werewolf snuck up behind Stiles while he was doing a spell and snapped his wrists.

Two weeks since he could move his hands.

‘ _You’re lucky._ ’ The Doctors had said. ‘ _You’re expected to make a complete recovery._ ’

Funny. Stiles doesn’t feel very lucky.

He’s supposed to wear these casts for two months. _Two months_. Not only did his dad have to fucking cut his food for him like a god damn child, but he couldn’t drive. Couldn’t draw or paint. Couldn’t do any spells, couldn’t button his own fucking pants or shirts, _couldn’t sign_. The first day after the fight, he’d been okay. But the longer he goes without being able to sign, the more depressed and frustrated he gets. He can tell he’s starting to worry his dad, but there’s not much he can do about it.

‘ _Come on, you have to eat something_.’ Dad says. Stiles sighs.

“I’m not hungry.” He says. He probably mumbled, since dad just looks confused. He must get it though, because after a moment, he shakes his head and places a bowl of cereal in front of Stiles.

‘ _Eat_.’ Dad repeats. ‘ _I’m worried about you. I know this sucks, Stiles, but it’s not forever_.’

He gives in, because he doesn’t want dad to worry too much. After a few minutes of him eating and his dad watching him, Dad runs his hands down his face.

‘ _I have work in an hour, so I’m dropping you off at Cora’s. Behave – Lee’ll tell Laura if you don’t_.’

“I promise.”

Stiles doesn’t pay much attention on the drive over.

He wonders if this would have happened if he hadn’t met Derek. If he hadn’t met Cora, if he hadn’t met the Hales, if his mom hadn’t died. Would this have happened to him if Deaton hadn’t trained him to use his magic? Would he have never known until he was twenty four and accidentally magically threw a mug against the wall? Would he have known about the Hales being werewolves?

Would he be in the position he is now?

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Come on baby, time for school.” He hears. He thinks, just maybe, if he fakes being asleep, it’ll work this time. Mommy will just let him stay at home and watch TV, just one time. “I know you’re awake, Stiles.”

He opens his eyes and she smiles at him. “I’ll help you get ready.” Her voice sounds kinda funny, like when she talks while she cleans his ears.

“M’ almost five now mommy. I can dress myself.” He tells her. Now his voice sound funny too. He sticks his finger in his ear, trying to see if maybe she left something in there, but it’s empty.

“Is that so? You a big boy now?”

“Yeah!” He gets off the bed fast, because he as to show her. He can pick out his clothes on all by himself now. Because he’s not a baby. “I wanna wear these! And you can’t say no, ‘cause I got day pants not night pants.”

“Yes you did.” She laughs. He tugs on his ear a bit. Maybe that’ll make it better?

Mommy still helps him brush his teeth, because he doesn’t wanna and she says he does a bad job, but he gets dressed by himself! She helps him pour his cereal and milk, and puts a pillow on the chair for him to sit on. He keeps pulling on his ear, but everything still sounds weird. Mom stops him when he gets to the door for the bus, frowning.

“Stop pulling on your ear, baby. It’s all red. Does it itch?”

“Everything sounds funny.” He tells her, pulling on it again. “Like when you clean my ears after a bath.”

Now mommy doesn’t look happy. She looks sick now. “Are you okay, Mommy?”

“Yeah kiddo,” She says. He voice sounds funny for a different reason now. “I’m fine. Just – you’re not going to school today.”

“M’not?”

“No…no.” She smiles, but it’s weird. She still looks sick. “We’re going to Dr. Grant’s. Remember her? She gave you a cherry popsicle last time we saw her.”

“Yeah.” She nods, picking him up. He feels weird, like he can’t breathe a little bit, but he doesn’t say anything. He closes his eyes and breathes.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They’re watching Jessica Jones on Netflix. Derek hooked up the TV to his laptop because he knows Stiles hates reading captions on tiny screens, and Derek’s got his arm around him and no one is bothering them, and it could be perfect. It should be. But he can’t stop thinking about the night the other pack fought them.

He’d been inside, worrying with Lee and watching out the window. The house was surrounded in mountain ash, so they were safe. Elliot was comforting their kids. Everything looked like ti was going well, so some of his anxiety was finally settling down. But then that wolf had to sneak up on Derek. They dug their claws into Derek’s stomach, and Stiles’ heart nearly stopped. He hardly remembered leaving the house, just that he had to do _something_. An extra protection spell around him, a luck spell, a healing spell, _anything_. He’d done the protection spell, just about to do one for healing when that wolf come up from behind him and grabbed him.

He should have known. He couldn’t exactly hear when someone was coming, but his magic always allowed him to sense it. He was just so focused on Derek – he didn’t notice. And the wolf obviously knew Stiles was preforming a spell, because the first thing he did was grab his wrists and squeeze till the bone snapped.

Stiles thinks maybe he screamed. His throat certainly hurt like he did.

Maybe he should have let Lee hold him back. Maybe he should have watched the rest of it play out. Daniel had been helping Derek, watching over him. They probably would have been fine without extra help. This could have been avoided. Stiles doesn’t think he’s ever been so reckless.

“ _Should I start the episode over?_ ” Derek asks once he’s gotten his attention.

Stiles makes a face that he hopes conveys ‘ _what?_ ’

“ _Because I don’t think you’ve been paying attention_.” Derek rolls his eyes. “ _Are you okay?_ ”

Stiles holds up his hands and Derek winces.  He doesn’t mean to make him feel guilty, but he wishes people would stop asking that – if he’s okay. No, he’s not okay. He’s so far from okay. That should be obvious. “ _Right. I’m sorry_.”

“It’s fine.” Stiles forces himself to say. He’s nowhere near as comfortable using his voice around Derek. It’s not like with his dad, who’s used to it. And with their recent, unresolved relationship development, even small words and sentences make him uncomfortable.

“ _It’s not fine, Stiles, you got hurt trying to –_ ”

“Don’t.” He shakes his head.

“ _Stiles, we –_ ”

“Please.” Derek sighs.

 He knows they have to talk about it. They have to talk about a lot of things, one of them being what their relationship is since that kiss. But he doesn’t want to talk about it now. He would _like_ to just ignore everything until this whole thing is over. _Then_ he can deal with his issues. But not now. He’s just – he’s not ready.

“ _We have to talk about this eventually_.” Derek finally tells him.

Stiles restarts the episode.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“He’s an incredibly fast learner.” Mrs. Summers says. Claudia smiles, looking over at her son.

“Yes, he is.”

Stiles is six. He’s had hearing aids in for a just over three months now. She’s probably told him to stop playing with them a hundred times, maybe more.

Their last visit with Dr. Grant didn’t go very well. It became pretty clear that Stiles’ hearing was going down a steep, downhill slope, and they didn’t know how to stop it. He had maybe a year before it was just gone completely in his left ear, a year and a half tops. She thought about teaching Stiles to read lips, but then decided against it. He has problems focusing already, and she knows lip reading is a lot of work when it’s all day every day. She and John decided the best option was have them all learn sign.

“It helps that he’s so willing to learn. And that he has such supportive parents learning with him. My parents didn’t really bother learning for my little brother.” Mrs. Summers says. She pulls a few papers out of the folder she’s holding and hands them to Claudia. “These are the words we learned today, and a few practice sentences. You don’t have to use these, but I always find that it helps to have a physical list of the words so you don’t forget any.”

“Thanks for all this.” John tells her. “I’m sorry we aren’t able to pay full price, we would if we could.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem! I know all these doctors’ appointments and everything can get a bit pricey, we went through…” Claudia honestly isn’t listening anymore. And, normally, she’s not so rude, but the floating cookie just behind Mrs. Summers’ head may need a bit more attention than a story about her past. She does the only thing she can think of.

She grabs it from the air as quickly as she can. Mrs. Summers pauses, eyes wide. John gives her a Look™.

“Sorry.” She explains awkwardly. “There was a, um. Bug. I got it.”

“Oh.” Mrs. Summers blinks. “Well. I’ll be back Friday for the next lesson. Have a good day!”

“You too.” John tells her. He waves at her before closing the door and raising his eyebrows. “D. What was that?”

“I caught _this_ flying behind her.” She holds up the cookie, making a face at the chocolate that covers her hand.

“That’s a cookie.”

“Yes, honey. Yes it is. You’re so observant.” She rolls her eyes.

“Why was a cookie floating in our house?” He grins. “You craving sweets so bad that you had to make one magically appear in front of you instead of walking the five steps it takes to get to get to our kitchen?”

“That’s the problem, John. _I_ didn’t do this. And if I didn’t do this, that means –”

“Stiles.” He realizes. She nods. The little boy in question is sitting on the floor in the living room, drawing something, with markers spilled everywhere.  John comes over and swoops him up. He giggles when he dumps him on the couch.

“I’ve got a question for you, kiddo.” John says, making sure to face their son. Stiles blinks up at them.

“Yeah?”

“Know anything about this?” He holds up the ruins of the cookie, and Stiles immediately looks guilty. Sometimes, she marvels at how incredibly expressive and honest her kid’s face is.

“Nooo.” He lies.

“Oh really?” Claudia crosses her arms over her chest. “You don’t know anything about it? At all?”

“The cookie flied on its own.” Stiles nods. John sighs.

“No one said anything about it flying, kid.”

_Busted._

 

 

* * *

 

 

Week three with the casts proves to be the worst week yet when Stiles has a panic attack halfway through at dinner.

He hasn’t had one in two years, at least. Not since the last time Dad got hurt on the job. But he wanted to ask his dad something and the words just _wouldn’t come out_. He wanted so badly just to sign at him, like he usually does, and then he thought about how, what if, maybe the doctor was wrong. What if he can never sign again? What if he can never communicate like he used to? What then? And then he couldn’t breathe, and he couldn’t say what was wrong, and everything just –

Sucked.

When he gets dropped off at the Hale house the next day, he knows Dad told them what happened. Cora hugs him when he gets there.

‘ _Do you want to talk about it?_ ’ She asks. He shakes his head

How would he even talk about it? With his mouth?? He’s already very uncomfortable, he really wouldn’t like a repeat of dinner. He doesn’t want to talk about it with her. Or anyone. He’d rather sit home alone, and watch TV. Maybe that’s what he should do, at least until the casts are off. Maybe that’s better for everyone.

‘ _Stop it_.’ Cora frowns at him. ‘ _I can smell how miserable you are. You can’t keep all this bottled up_.’

He waits until her room door is closed to answer.

“What am I supposed to do?” he spits out. “Speak? Not an option.”

‘ _You’re doing it right now. I don’t get what the big deal is, you know none of us care what your voice sounds like. Your casts will come off, eventually. You won’t have to voice everything forever._ ’

“Just drop it.” He snaps. She steps back.

‘I’m just trying to help you.’

“Don’t. Just. Put it on.” He gestures to the dvd case laying nest to her laptop and sits down on the bed. She watches him for a moment before sighing and grabbing the movie. She doesn’t try to talk to him again.

 

**Downstairs**

 

“I hate seeing him like this.” Derek sighs. “He’s so – different.”

“I think you would be too if you were going through what he is right now, mijo.” Mom says. She takes off her glasses and leans back a bit in her chair.

“I love him.” He blurts. Mom pauses, and he’s not really sure what that look means, so he just keeps going. “I’m pretty sure I want to spend the rest of my life with him, Mamá. I know that it might be too soon to know, but you always told me to trust my instincts. And I know Mates are supposed to be really rare, but I think maybe –”

“I’ve...heard of something.” Mom interrupts.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just a rumor. Your abuela says she’s seen it before, but – you know you can’t trust some of the things she says about her early Alpha days. She said Alpha’s can technically heal a member of their pack.”

“Like, heal completely?” He asks. She nods. “How is that possible?” she takes a breath.

“They have to give up their Alpha spark.”

“Mom, no.” He shakes his head. Yes, he loves Stiles, but he’s not going to have his Alpha, his mother, give up her position. Not only is it important to her, but then the pack would be Alpha-less, and the whole territory would be up for grabs. “You – you can’t do that. I don’t even think Stiles would let you, anyway.”

“I’m not going to give up my position as Alpha, Derek.” She smiles. “Stiles is family, but I wouldn’t do that for a temporary injury, despite the emotional pain. I have a whole pack to think about.”

“Then why are you telling me this?”

“Because. I think I know an Alpha that might be willing to give up his spark.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

She’s dying.

Claudia’s dying.

She didn’t think much of the sudden small gaps in her memories, or the fact that she was a lot more forgetful than usual. How sometime she thought she saw things others have assured her weren’t there. Maybe other people would be concerned, if all this happened to them at once, but this was gradual for her. And now she’s sitting in a doctor’s office, her husband gripping her hand, her son playing in a plastic hospital chair, and the doctor telling her she’s got Frontotemportal Dementia.

They didn’t come here for her. They came here for Stiles.

They haven’t been able to get his attention by calling his name in the past few weeks, and now was the only time they could fit him in for an appointment. He had lost all hearing in his left ear, and now only had about 50% left in his right ear. They knew this would happen, but John wanted an official statement. And then the doctor heard them fighting about her symptoms, and…

And now they’re here.

“I’ll leave you three alone to talk about options.” The doctor says. Once he closes the door, Claudia blurts;

“I want him to train.”

“What?” John whispers. “Claudia, you’ve got – you’re – now isn’t the time to talk about this. You heard what the doctor said.”

“I did. Which is why I want him to train with Deaton.”

“D, you said you didn’t want him to learn magic. You want him to be normal, remember?”

“I was wrong.” She takes a breath. “I want him to be happy. I _need_ him to be happy, John, and – and magic will be all he has left of me when I’m gone! And I know he uses it when we’re not in the room, I can feel it, I just want – I want him to learn how to use it correctly.”

“You’re not leaving us that early, D.” he says, voice cracking.

“Now I’m starting to think you’re the one with hearing problems.” She jokes. It falls flat. He looks – well. He looks like he’s just leant that the love of his life is dying and. He has.

“D…”

“We’ll talk about this later. Please.” She asks, softly. He sighs.

“Alright.” He turns to Stiles. “ _Hey. Can you pay attention for a sec_ , kiddo?”

 _‘Yeah?’_ Stiles blinks at them, looking uneasy. He’s always been able to sense when something was wrong.

“ _I know you’ve been using magic when you think we’re not looking_ ,” Claudia starts. Her hands shake, but for him, she schools her expression into something more neutral. He seems fooled. He narrows his eyes.

 _‘No you don’t.’_ He pouts. She smiles, and John rolls his eyes.

 _“You basically just admitted it.”_ He says. Stiles crosses his arms and pouts some more, looking away.

“ _Hey,_ ” she waves, “ _we’re…we’re not mad, baby. It’s okay. Actually, your dad and I have been talking and, we’ve decided that you’re a big boy now. And big boys take magic lessons._ ” She tells him. His eyes widen.

“Really?” he blurts. It’s a testament to how surprised he is that his hands don’t so much as twitch.

‘ _Really_.’ John says. Stiles looks between them for a moment before surging up and wrapping his arms around Claudia’s shoulders, squeezing her tight. In front of her John smiles at her, btu it looks more like a grimace. She closes her eyes.

Magic will be all he has left.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Stiles is beginning to feel a bit like a ghost.

People around him talk about him like he’s not there. every time he opens his mouth to try and speak, it feels like someone’s tightening an invisible chain around his neck. So much as twitching his fingers still makes his hands ache. His last doctor’s appointment hadn’t gone very well, considering the fact that the doctor said he wasn’t healing as fast as they’d hoped. He feels drained.

Will he even be the same person when this is over?

The lights in the living room flicker, and Dad smiles at him. it almost looks out of place, after nearly a month of worried looks and concerned glances.

‘ _What?_ ’ he asks.

That, at least, doesn’t require any wrist movement.

‘ _Someone’s at the door for you.’_ Dad shrugs, unusually cryptic. Stiles sighs and heaves himself up, pausing when his vision fills with black spots for a second. He thanks whatever’s out there that they don’t have round door handles and pushes the door open.

“Der…?” he croaks. Derek, for some reason, looks particularly cheery.

“ _Hi_.” He reaches out, hesitantly, but drops his hand before he can touch. Stiles frowns. “ _There’s something… I have a surprise for you. Come with me?_”

That only makes him more confused. He looks back at his nod, who nods encouragingly.

Alright.

He want to tell them both that they know he hates surprises, and he isn’t really feeling it right now, they should _know this_ , but –

But there’s that chain again, pulling and closing off. He knows he makes some kind of chocked off noise, feels it vibrate in his throat, but after that, he gives. Up. He nods.

Ok.

Derek helps him buckle into the car, and once it’s started, he turns the music up loud enough that its got to be hurting his sensitive ears. But Stiles can feel the vibrations of it throughout his body, where his knee rests against the car speaker. He turns to Derek, questions, reaches for the volume knob, but Derek just gently turns his hand away.

It’s a ten minute drive to wherever they’re supposed to go.

Which, by the way, Stiles still has no clue about. It looks like an apartment building, and he can’t for the life of him think of a reason for why they’re here. Is Derek moving out of the house? IS that the surprise? Or maybe it’s someone else? Cora always talked about wishing she had a bit more privacy, and he does see Talia’s car parked outside – maybe it is Cora who’s moved out. He doesn’t see how that’s a surprise, or how it has anything to do with him.

Derek looks nervous as he leads him to the elevator. Stiles nudges his arm with his elbow, eyebrows furrowed.

 _‘I think you’re like it.’_ Derek says. Which isn’t really the answer to his question, but then again. Derek didn’t know that.

They stop on the fourth floor. Apartment 4D.

Stiles magic rushes up to the surface when they get to door, almost painfully. It pulses in his hands, and if he were a dog his hackles would definitely be raised right now, because there’s an unknown alpha in this apartment. He can sense it clear as day. Derek squeezes his shoulder after a moment, and gives him a reassuring look.

Stiles still has no idea what’s going on.

When Derek knocks, a surprisingly familiar face opens the door.

It’s Erica.

Stiles hasn’t been to the café since before the whole fight went down, but he’s not one to forget a face. Although, she doesn’t look as cheerful as she did the last time he saw her, or as lively. She…she actually looks kind of sick. But she smiles at them both when she sees them, and gestures for them both to come inside. She haltingly spells out ‘H-I’ when he enters, and he smiles.

Talia comes into view.

Beside her is someone Stiles doesn’t recognize, but he knows it’s the Alpha. His magic calms when he realizes that Talia and this unknown Alpha are being friendly with each other, but it doesn’t retreat all the way. She smiles softly at him.

_ “Stiles. Why don’t we all sit?” _

“Wh…” he starts. Derek steers him gently towards the couch.

“I know this past month has been [couldn’t read] on you,” Talia starts slowly, once they’re all seated. Erica sits next to the Alpha, curled into his side and sipping something from a mug. “And Derek – all of us [couldn’t read]…”

“I can’t.” he forces out. Talia pauses. “I need…”

“ _I’ll tell him._ ” Derek says. He moves so he’s fully facing Stiles. “ _None of us could stand watching you get worse and worse every day, Stiles. Especially not me. So when we heard rumors that there was a way an Alpha could completely heal a member of their pack, we looked into it._ ”

Wait.

They couldn’t mean…

Could they?

“ _The only way an Alpha can completely heal a member of their pack…is if they gve up their Alpha spark_.” Derek finally says. Stiles shakes his head.

“No.” he says firmly. As much as it kills him to be unable to communicate effectively, leaving the hale territory – and effectively, Beacon Hills – without an Alpha would pretty much ensure the death of both the pack and the nemeton the town draws power from. Talia puts a hand on his arm and shakes her head.

“I know.” She says.

“ _That’s why we brought you here. To Boyd._ ” Derek points towards the Alpha next to Erica. He waves.

Stiles cocks his head. He can see where this is going now, he just doesn’t understand. Why would an Alpha willingly give up their spark for someone who isn’t even part of their pack? The Hale must be giving something up in return, and Stiles…he cant let them. He isn’t worth this, is he?

“ _Boyd doesn’t want to be an Alpha. He never has. The spark was passed on to him when his family was killed. So he’s willing to give it up to help you. As long as we bite his girlfriend, Erica, and add the both of them to our Pack._ ”

“ _I_ … _have_ _seizures_.” Erica signs haltingly. Stiles nods. “ _I don’t want him_ to bite me. If…if I don’t make it…I don’t want him to blame himself for that.” She says. “I would [coudln’t read] someone else bite me.

Finally, Stiles lets himself hope.

Boyd could _heal him_.

He stares at them all, wide eyed.

Despite his best efforts to tramp ti down, hope blooms in his chest. They sod it was just a rumor, didn’t they? What if it doesn’t work? What if they try it and Boyd gives up his spark, but Stiles is still broken? What if –

‘ _I can_ see _you thinking_.’ Derek shakes his head. ‘ _Stiles. If you don’t want to do this, we wont. But…it can’t hurt to try, can it?_ ’

Right.

Right. Okay.

“Okay.” he breathes. Boyd gets up and comes to crouch in front of him. He holds out his hands, palms up, waiting. Stiles can feel his pulse in his ears, can practically hear it. His hands shake when he places them in Boyd’s. The alpha give him a small smile.

It starts off like a regular werewolf paint drain. His soreness in his wrists disappear, his fingers twitch. he can make out the dark, raised veins on Boyd’s forearms. He starts to feel kind of loopy, his vision blurring a bit. Someone comes up behind him a puts their hands on his shoulders, steadying him. His head feels too heavy for his neck. There’s a flash of red and gold.

And then it’s just dark.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 _‘No matter what anyone tells you, remember this, baby.’_ Claudia signs slowly. Her limbs feel heavy, but for once, her head is clear. Stiles – her baby, her son – leans closer, his eyes and cheeks shiny with tears. ‘ _I will always be with you. Here._ ’ She puts a hand on his chest. He grips her writs so tight.

 _‘Why can’t you be with me out here?’_ he sucks in a shaky breath.

John isn’t here. At work, she remembers. Yesterday, when she was too out of it to even remember his name, he’d promised her he’d come visit after his shift. He wont make it in time, she knows. She can feel it.

 _‘I don’t know.’_ She admits. _‘But you’re strong, Stiles. So strong. You’ll make it through this. I promise you.’_ She blinks, and her lashes clump together. She was hoping she wouldn’t cry, not in front of him, but she can’t help it. She can feel her magic leaving her, draining, and she takes a deep breath. Her magic, like all magic that exists in this town, is meant for the nemeton.

That is not where it will go.

She reaches out and tugs Stiles forward, so their foreheads touch.

“I love you so much.” She says, loud as she can. Stiles nods, his tears wetting her face.

“I love you too, mom.” He whispers. She smiles. Her fingertips spark as they run through his hair.

Her magic is gone.

“My beautiful boy.” She breathes.

Between one breath and the next, she’s gone.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When Stiles wakes up, he’s in a car.

Specifically, he’s in Derek’s car. His nose is pressed against the leather, neck bent at an awkward angle. He curls into himself a bit and presses his eyelids together, hoping to fall back asleep quickly.

Wait.

Why is he in Derek’s car?

He bolts upright, hitting his head on the roof of the car. Apparently, this starts Derek. He jerks in the driver’s seat, watching Stiles with wide eyes. Stiles rubs his head, wincing, and squints at the window. They’re currently parked outside Beacon Hills Memorial, thought he has no clue why.

“ _Stiles?_ ” Derek asks. He frowns.

‘ _Why are we_ …’ he starts. And then it hits him.

He stares down at his hands.

There’re not wrapped in red plaster this time, or bruised, or bleeding, or sore. His wrists are a bit paler and thinner than he remembers them being, but he can _see them_. And with that comes the realization that he’d just been _signing_. He gapes at his hands, and then up at Derek. Derek, who just smiles at him, relief clear on his face. Stiles’ eyes sting.

‘ _It worked._ ’ He can’t help but laugh.

“ _It worked._ ” Derek repeats. Stiles blinks, and a tear slides down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly, looking around.

‘ _Why…why are we in front of the hospital? I’m fine, right?_ ’ he asks. Derek nods.

“ _Yeah, you’re fine. But after you and Boyd passed out, Lee went into labor._ ”

“Oh!” Stiles’ eyes go wide. _‘Shit!’_

“ _What?_ ”

‘ _I never got to finish painting the nursery._ ’ He scrams to undo his seatbelt, and Derek puts a hand on his arm. When Stiles looks at him, he’s laughing. He still feels a bit hollow from the past month, and he’s honestly not sure when that’ll go away. But here, now, watching Derek, he finally feels a bit lighter. He can _communicate_ again.

‘ _I can’t believe that’s what you’re worried about right now._ ’ Derek huffs. Stiles just rolls his eyes and gets out of the car. The rest of the pack is probably somewhere in the hospital. He pauses, waiting for Derek to reach him. and then he comes to a decision.

 _‘Are you free tomorrow night?_ ’ He asks. Derek raises an eyebrow.

‘ _Yeah?_ ’

Stiles bites his lip.

‘ _Do you remember what I told you before the fight?_ ’ He asks. Derek’s expression softens, and surprisingly – adorably – the tips of his ears go red.

 _‘I do_.’

 _‘Well._ ’ He leans closer. ‘ _I’m healed. The fight is over._ ’

Stiles has been kissed before. He’s still a virgin, but he’s been on dates. Been dropped off at his front steps and talked until his dad glares menacingly out from the window, or flickered the porch lights. But none of those kisses felt anything like this. It almost feels like magic, the way it makes his heart race and lips tingle and sets butterflies loose in his stomach. He fists his hands in the front of Derek’s shirt, and marvels at the fact that he could even do that without pain. Because of _Derek_.

They break apart when Derek’s phone rings, chests heaving. He only talks to whoever’s on the other end for a minute before he hangs up.

‘ _Everything okay?_ ’ Stiles wonders. Derek nods, and grins.

“ _Yeah. Lee had the baby. It’s a girl_.” He grabs his hand. “ _Come on. She’ll want you there._ ”

‘ _Wait, Derek, you…I…I never – Will you  –_ ’ he starts. Derek stops him.

_ “Stiles? Of course I’ll go out with you.” _

**Author's Note:**

> Reminder: Everything that is being signed isn't _ACTUALLY_ what is being signed. Some of those words technically don't exist in ASL. What is being said is just what they mean, not what they're actually physically signing. Unless they're signing and talking at the same time, then they're not actually using ASL, but PSE, which isnt actually a language, but Stiles can still understand them. I hope that made sense!
> 
> I'm not too happy with this, but i wanted to get it out and get back into writing, because i have an idea for a third part! And the third part will actually have way more Stiles/Derek lol
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed! [My tumblr](http://littleredtheboy.tumblr.com/). Come cry over Stiles with me!


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